


At Last

by EbbaTriesToWrite



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Bittersweet, Car Accidents, Character Death, Childhood Friends, Flashbacks, M/M, Sad Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:40:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24652471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EbbaTriesToWrite/pseuds/EbbaTriesToWrite
Summary: “I love you.” Baekhyun mumbled, fighting to keep his eyes open for Chanyeol’s sake more than his own.“I love you too.”It’s not the first time they’ve said it but Baekhyun thinks it might be the last.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun & Park Chanyeol, Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol
Comments: 11
Kudos: 31
Collections: June 2020 Prompt Week





	At Last

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompts Childhood crush & "Hey! This is our song."

Tyres screeching, glass breaking, metal crunching and then it stops. The occupants of the car no longer screaming. 

It was all just... silent. 

  
  


_ “Hi!” the little boy yelled as he sprinted over, a massive smile on his face, dark hair flowing in the wind revealing ears so big Baekhyun thought they could be wings, “Why are you sad?”  _

_ Baekhyun looked down at his feet, bottom lip trembling as he remembered why he was sitting here all alone on the park bench. His parents hadn’t even noticed that he had sneaked away in the midst of unpacking. _

_ “I miss my friends.” he mumbled eventually. _

_ “Where are they?” the boy asked, kneeling down in front of him to look him in the eyes, “Maybe I can help you find them.” _

_ “They’re really far away.” Baekhyun sniffled, “In another town.” _

_ “Oh-” the boy pouted, his own eyes looking a bit glassy and Baekhyun frowned at the fact, he didn’t like making other people sad. _

_ “It’s okay though, I’ll just have to deal with it.” he repeated his father’s words even though it hurt to say them. At least the boy wasn’t pouting anymore. _

_ “We can be friends!” the boy blurted out and Baekhyun couldn’t help but smile back at him, “I’m Chanyeol, what’s your name?” _

_ “Baekhyun.” _

  
  


“Baekhyun. Baekhyun!” someone was shaking him, “Baekhyun wake up!”

He groaned, his whole body ached, his head especially, but whoever was yelling at him sounded panicked and he forced his eyes open. The light made his head hurt and he blinked, trying to get used to it even as his vision spun.

“Thank god.” he recognized that voice and once he felt like his head wasn’t split open and once the nausea eased he looked over to the source of the voice.

“Chanyeol?” there was blood dripping down his face, “What happened?”

“You crashed the car.” Chanyeol said, groaning slightly as he reached up to touch his nose, “Are you okay?” 

Baekhyun took a few seconds - maybe minutes - to take stock of his body. His chest hurt and he couldn’t really feel his arm. But his head hurt the most and he could feel wetness along the side of his face.

“My head.” was all he managed to get out and Chanyeol nodded, “You?”

“I’m stuck,” he groaned, “Something’s wrong with my seat belt.”

It took longer for Baekhyun than it should have to reach down to fiddle with his own belt, he couldn’t move his left arm and it should probably scare him but he was more terrified of the fact that the seat belt wouldn’t unbuckle. He should have listened to Junmyeon when he said he should have gotten a new car, that the one he was driving was a death trap. 

“Have you called for help?” 

“There’s no reception.” Chanyeol sighed, leaning his head back against the seat and Baekhyun could see small cuts on his neck and a bruise spreading by the edge of his shirt collar.

“So we’re stuck?” Baekhyun asked and Chanyeol nodded his head once, looking a bit defeated.

The only reason he wasn’t panicking was because of Chanyeol’s calm. The taller man had always been the more level headed of the two whenever they ended up in a shitty situation, Baekhyun just hoped they’d be okay like every other time. He closed his eyes, he was tired.

“Stay awake.” Chanyeol slapped his arm, “You probably have a concussion.”

Baekhyun opened his eyes, staring out his cracked windshield. There was a tree there, his stupid car wrapped around it, the paint job was already peeling as it was but the bent metal made it all the more obvious. So much for a fun summer road trip huh?

“Do you remember when we got detention?” he wasn’t sure why the memory popped into his head but it did and it’s not like they have much else to do anyways.

“Which time?” Chanyeol laughs, a wheezing sound that breaks of into a groan of pain. 

Baekhyun would ask if Chanyeol was okay but he realises with a sense of dread that knowing wouldn’t change a damn thing, so instead he answers the question, “The first time.” 

“Yeah-” Chanyeol is smiling despite the worry in his eyes, “that was your fault.”

“It was not!” raising his voice makes his head hurt but it made Chanyeol smile more so he thinks it’s worth it - he just has to ignore the blood staining his teeth.

  
  


_ “Is this really a good idea?” Chanyeol asks, worriedly tugging at his uniform.  _

_ “It’s fine!” Baekhyun assures him and grabs his wrist, pulling him down the hall, “It’s your birthday  _ and  _ it’s snowing outside, we need to use the opportunity!” _

_ “But-” Baekhyun just shushes him, quickly leading him to the men’s room when they hear footsteps approaching, “We’re gonna get caught!” Chanyeol hisses. _

_ “So what? We’ve never gotten in trouble before.” Baekhyun shrugs and cracks the door open to see if the coast is clear. _

_ “We’ve never skipped class before.”  _

_ Baekhyun ignores him and this time he grabs Chanyeol’s hand to pull him along. Their palms are sweaty and Baekhyun both hates and loves the growth spurt Chanyeol seems to have entered. Loves it because it makes him feel small, protected, but he hates it because Chanyeol won’t fucking stop teasing him about it - that might actually be part of why he loves it too though, he loves it when Chanyeol is having fun. _

_ They make it outside and it’s only then that Baekhyun lets go of the larger hand and he leans down to scoop up some snow. When he turns back to face Chanyeol he tilts his head in confusion, he’s completely still, just staring at him with a stupid grin and red tinted ears that his body has almost grown to match, they still look a bit too big for his face but it’s very cute.  _

_ Baekhyun takes a few steps closer and smirks, using Chanyeol’s distracted face to mush the snow into his face. The taller boy splutters and pushes at him to get away and Baekhyun backs off, laughing so hard his knees grow weak and he has to brace himself against his legs. _

_ “Happy fourteenth birthday Yeolie.” he says once he gets his breath back. _

_ “Asshole.” Chanyeol mutters but he’s smiling so Baekhyun knows he’s not mad. _

_ “Hey, you two!” a deep voice comes from the school gate and they look at each other, panicked looks turning into ones of mischief as Mr. Lee storms outside, “Get back inside!” _

_ They run away. _

  
  


Baekhyun throws up and it ends up all over himself and he winces both at the smell spreading in the car and the fact that his head hurts even more now with all the retching and gagging.

“You okay?” Chanyeol asks, patting his shoulder gently.

“Yeah,” he wipes his mouth with his sleeve, “I must have a concussion.”

“Someone will find us soon.” Chanyeol promises even though they both know he can’t be sure someone will, “We just have to stay awake.”

“This is so gross.” Baekhyun groans. 

“Not like it’s the first time you’ve been covered in vomit.” 

“True,” Baekhyun shudders, he isn’t sure if it’s at the memory or the cold, might be both, “you threw up on me the first time we got drunk.”

“Tequila is not what one should start with.”

They laugh but it’s weaker now, it scares him.

  
  


_ It had surprised the both of them when they’d been invited to Juhyun’s birthday party. The girl was a year older than them and they’d barely talked to each other but apparently she wanted her sweet sixteen to be massive and invited half the school.  _

_ Neither of them had been to a party before and they’d met up at Chanyeol’s house to get ready together, trying on way too many outfits only to land back at the first one they tried on. Baekhyun was nervous but fortunately Chanyeol’s confidence was a little bit infectious and they got to the party with only three pep-talks being done on the way. They were a little bit late but there were so many people there that they were sure no one even notice. _

_ There was a table to leave gifts on and Chanyeol and Baekhyun barely have the time to place theirs in the pile before someone pulls them along to get them drinks. It was sweet enough that they managed to drink it without showing how unused they were to the taste of alcohol.  _

_ The night passes in a blur, partly because of all the drinking games they’re forced to join and partly because of what they’re drinking too. Someone forced shots, lemons and salt on them at some point and even though they gagged with each one they just couldn’t stop. Needing to prove themselves, to who? they didn’t know, but by the time they joined a group of people playing spin the bottle all their inhibitions were far far away.  _

_ It was Baekhyun’s turn and he grabbed the bottle and by some sick twist of fate it stopped with the neck pointing right at Chanyeol. They were the only guys playing the game and the girls screeched and squealed, pushing at the two of them to get closer to each other. They were both bright red in the face and although Baekhyun couldn’t speak for Chanyeol, his own face wasn’t flushed solely because of the alcohol in his system. _

_ It was comical that  _ At Last  _ by Etta James came pouring out the speakers as they inched closer to each other. Their eyes were open and it was just a brief touch of the lips but the girls seemed satisfied by it if their yells were anything to go by. That was, until Chanyeol proceeded to vomit right into Baekhyun’s lap. The girls reeled back in disgust but Baekhyun only reached over to pat Chanyeol’s back awkwardly as he cried softly and apologized profusely.  _

_ All in all, it was a pretty good night. _

Baekhyun knew Chanyeol and his head was in a brief moment of clarity when he realised Chanyeol hadn’t said word of how he was feeling, if he was hurt or not. And that was all Baekhyun needed to know that something was wrong. He could hear that Chanyeol was struggling to breathe. It was with a groan that the taller reached over to fiddle with the radio and to both their surprise it worked, there was a little static but they needed the distraction

“I love you.” Baekhyun mumbled, fighting to keep his eyes open for Chanyeol’s sake more than his own.

“I love you too.” 

It’s not the first time they’ve said it but Baekhyun thinks it might be the last.

  
  


_ They were sitting on the park bench where they first met. It was late and Chanyeol was trying not to cry as Baekhyun tried to comfort him. But no words could really fix the fact that his parents were getting a divorce. It wasn’t surprising to either of them, Chanyeol had complained about their fighting for years now but there had always been a little bit of hope in his voice whenever he spoke about it. That hope was gone now. _

_ “It’s better this way.” Chanyeol said eventually, straightening his shoulders and looking over at Baekhyun with a forced smile on his face, “They don’t love each other anymore, and that’s okay.” _

_ “It’s okay if you’re not though.” Baekhyun said, tightening his grip on Chanyeol’s hand. He hated whenever Chanyeol would pretend for the sake of others, even more so when it was for his sake, he wanted him to know he could be real with him, that it wouldn’t scare him away or whatever else it was that kept him from showing his true self, “I’m here for you.” _

_ “Thank you.” Chanyeol smiled genuinely this time, “I love you.” _

_ “I love you too.” he squeezed his hand and smiled back. _

_ “No.” Chanyeol shook his head and looked away. _

_ “What?” _

_ “I’m in love with you,” he said it so quickly Baekhyun almost thought he misheard him, “and I’m sorry if this ruins our friendship but I just- I just need you to know.” _

_ “Chanyeol-” Baekhyun sighed, it wasn’t that he didn’t feel the same way but he was a coward, “it’s okay but I don’t want anything to change. It doesn’t ruin our friendship and maybe one day we could-” _

_ “But not now.” Chanyeol finished, his smile a bit sad but there was a hopeful glint in his eyes, “As long as I still have you, in this way or another, I’ll be okay.” _

_ “You’ll always have me.” _

  
  


“You know, it sucks that this trip landed us here-” Chanyeol only hums in response and Baekhyun glances over and to his relief his eyes are still open even in the dim light, the sun is starting to set, “but I’m still kinda glad we took it, I’ve really missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too.” Chanyeol mumbles weakly.

  
  


_ “I can’t believe you’re actually going to uni.” Chanyeol says even as he folds up Baekhyun’s underwear for him. _

_ “Why is it unbelievable?” Baekhyun quirks a brow, “We both know I’m the smart one.” _

_ “Yeah sure, whatever you say.” Chanyeol scoffs, he’s always had the higher grades of the two of them but unfortunately his mom needs his help at her restaurant currently, “But I meant as in the fact that we’re so old now!”  _

_ “We’re not old!” Baekhyun protests, the stuffed animals he’s packed in secret is testament of that, “We’re just, uhm- grown up now.” _

_ “Yeah. Old.” Chanyeol laughs.  _

_ They keep packing, occasionally being distracted by what they find as they make their way through his things, a drawing here or an old test there. He didn’t even remember he had most of this stuff but it’s fun to reminisce about the stories they came from. It warms his heart that Chanyeol is part of almost all of them. _

_ They stand side by side when they’re done, looking at the suitcases and boxes they packed. It’s only then it really dawns on Baekhyun that he’s really leaving, starting a new chapter and all that. He and Chanyeol had promised they’d go to the same university but it seems life had other plans.  _

_ “I got you this.” Chanyeol says after a while, going over to his bag to pull out a wrapped present, it’s the size of a book but too thin for it to be one, “You don’t have to take it with you but-”  _

_ He trails off and hands the present over, looking a bit embarrassed and Baekhyun smirks as he unwraps it. He feels his eyes water a little even as his smile gets wider. In his hands he’s holding a picture frame, him and Chanyeol around the age of six smiling back at him. They have their arms linked and Baekhyun is missing a front tooth and Chanyeol looks like he could fly away using only his ears.  _

_ “I’ll really miss you.” his voice comes out more shaky than he intended and Chanyeol wraps him up in his long arms, they really are getting old huh? _

_ “I’ll come visit,” Chanyeol promises, “and you’ll come home for holidays. It’ll go by faster than you’ll want it to.” _

_ “You’re probably right.” Baekhyun mumbles into the crook of his neck. _

_ “I’m always right.” _

__

“You used to visit a lot during my freshman year.” Baekhyun says, he’s supposed to graduate next year but if no one finds them soon he doesn’t think he will. His head is still hurting and it’s getting harder and harder to stay awake.

“Yeah, I think we both just got busy after that.” Chanyeol speaks slowly, having to take a breath between each word and Baekhyun wants him to shut up, to save his strength, but he also wants to hear his voice, even though it sounds so  _ pained,  _ “Becoming adults and all that.”

  
  


_ Baekhyun was exhausted but damn if he wasn’t relieved. He’d just completed the last exam of his finals and even though he didn’t know if he’d passed yet he was just glad to be over and done with it. He wouldn’t be going home for another three weeks though, needing to work on some stuff with the student union that he was president of this semester. There was no way in hell was he going to apply for it next semester, he was completely burnt out after just a year at university. He wasn’t sure if he’d be able to do three more years of this. _

_ But despite the stress, the exhaustion and the bouts of depression, he still enjoyed his time here. He had made plenty of friends and he had excellent professors that actually made learning fun. It was a huge difference from high school.  _

_ He’s just exiting the main gate when someone comes up behind him and covers his eyes with their hands. It’s by pure instinct that he elbows whoever it is in the gut and he freezes when he recognizes that groan of pain coupled with laughter. He twists around and his eyes widen in shock when his suspicion is confirmed. _

_ “Chanyeol?” he gasps, all the exhaustion from before melting away just by the sight of his best friend, “What are you doing here?” _

_ “Surprise.” he says sheepishly, rubbing his stomach where he got hit, “I’ve missed you.” _

_ “I’ve missed you too, stupid!” Baekhyun exclaims and throws himself forward to wrap his arms around his neck, loving how naturally Chanyeol’s own wrap around his waist.  _

_ “I hope this isn’t a bad time for a visit.” Chanyeol says, swinging them side to side a bit. _

_ “It’s never a bad time to see you. _

  
  


The radio has only been exuding static for a while now, Baekhyun isn’t sure how long exactly, he’s passed out a few times and so has Chanyeol. They’ve woken each other up though but this time it’s the music that wakes Baekhyun up. Etta James’ voice playing through the speakers gently.

_ At last my love has come along _

_ My lonely days are over and life is like a song, oh yeah _

_ At last the skies above are blue _

_ My heart was wrapped up clover the night I looked at you _

“Hey, Chanyeol,” Baekhyun fights to keep his eyes open, but there’s not much to see anyways, it’s well into the night already, “this is our song.” 

For the first time - probably ever - Chanyeol doesn’t respond. Baekhyun’s heart feels heavy as he lets his eyes fall shut. 

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you think!  
> xoxo


End file.
